Train for laying a new railroad track

ABSTRACT

A train for laying railroad track comprises cars for storing ties and a single working truck carrying a gantry and conveyor for transporting ties from the storage cars and laying them in front of the working truck. Roller clamps at opposite sides of the working truck move rails from the sides of the road bed and positioned them on the ties that have been laid. The working truck has a rear bogie running on the rails after they have been positioned and a front bogie supported by a carriage sliding or rolling on railless ties that have been laid on the road bed. The tie laying device is supported in overhanging relationship by the front end of the working truck together with a device for levelling and/or tamping the platform or ballast.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a train for laying a new railroadtrack, which comprises at least means for transporting and laying thecross-ties, rail positioning means and tie storage cars.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is already known from the Swiss Patent No. CH-A-600,045 to constructa railroad renewal train comprising two hingedly interconnected truckssupporting the various working tools for removing the old track andlaying the new track, together with one or more cars for storing the newand old cross-ties. The storage cars and the first truck, usuallyreferred to as the tie handling car, travel on the old track while thesecond truck rolls on the renewed track. During the works, the tiehandling car is carried at its front end by a bogie and at the rear endby a pair of retractable bearings rolling on an auxiliary runwayconsisting of the new rails to be laid on the track but depositedbeforehand on both sides of the old track and externally of the ties.The second or power truck is supported at its front end by the tiehandling car and at its rear end by a bogie rolling on the renewedtrack.

Another Swiss Patent No. CH-A-600,046 discloses a track renewal trainsimilar to the one described in the above-mentioned Swiss Patent No.CH-A-600,045 but adapted, at the cost of a few transformations, to beused as a railroad track laying train (cf. FIGS. 5 and 6). The tracklaying train operates in the direction opposed to that of the trackrenewing train. The retractable rolling bearings are disposed on eitherside of the single bogie of the power truck, whereby this power trucktravels on the rails disposed directly on the platform of the futuretrack and set at the proper gage by the rolling bearings. The tie layingdevice is located just behind the power truck bogie and ahead of therail positioning device so that the two bogies of the second truck rollon the freshly laid track.

French Patent Appln. No. FR-A-2,419,998 filed by the same Applicantdescribes a railroad track removal train which is also adapted to beconverted into a train for laying a new track. Like the above-mentionedtrains, the train described in French Patent Appln. No. FR-A-2,419,998is composed of two hingedly interconnected working trucks supporting thevarious working tools and machines. The essential difference existingbetween this train and the previous ones is that the single bogie of thepower truck is already rolling on the new track while the bogie of thetie handling truck, which travels in the working area, is mounted on atranslation system adapted to slide or roll in the rail seats cut in theold railless cross-ties. The second bogie of the same car rolls on theold track together with the various storage cars. To convert thislast-mentioned train into a train for laying a new track, the directionof travel is reversed and the single bogie of the second hinged truck isprovided with tires enabling it to travel on the track platform whilethe second translation device supporting one of the bogies of the secondtruck travels on the laid track and the second bogie and the storagecars roll on the laid track.

The previously mentioned railroad track laying trains are objectionablein that the power vehicle or in any case the first working truck musttravel while bearing either on rails laid directly upon the platform or,in the absence thereof, directly on the platform proper. In either casethe load supported by the platform is localized at the positions of therolling bearings so that the pressure exerted on the platform withoutthe ties is extremely high. This load localization is attended by thedestruction of the platform profile. In fact, it is particularlyimportant, prior to laying the ties and rails, to level and profile theplatform as a function of the geometrical configuration of the track andalso of the specific nature of the soil (slope in curved sections,platform inclination for draining rainwater, etc.). Therefore, after thepassage of the power vehicle or after the track-laying operation, theplatform must be reprofiled, thus increasing costs and extending thetrack construction time. In case the profile were not restored, a localsettling or even a total destruction of the track might result.Furthermore, constituting a runway by laying rails directly on theplatform is an inconvenience per se.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the primary object of the present invention to avoid theinconveniences broadly set forth hereinabove by eliminating the rollingmeans bearing directly on the platform free of ties, or on a runway orany kind.

The track laying train according to the instant invention ischaracterized by the fact that the means for transporting and laying theties and the rail positioning means are supported by a single truckprovided with two bogies, that the tie laying means are mounted inoverhanging relationship in front of the leading bogie of the truck,that said leading bogie is supported during the work by a translationdevice sliding or rolling in the rail seats cut in the raillesscross-ties, and that the rail positioning means are disposed between thetranslation device and the rear bogie of the same truck. As the trucktravels on the ties through one of its bogies by means of a translationdevice, the pressure exerted on the platform is relatively low and noplatform distortion is produced. The rails are positioned after thepassage of the translation device so that the rear bogie rolls on thepreviously laid rails. The power unit is located in the vicinity of thisrear bogie so that the load exerted on the railless ties is kept at avalue as low as possible in order to avoid doing any damage thereto.

At the cost of minor transformations this train may be converted into arailroad renewal train.

THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view showing a train forlaying a new railroad track according to a specific form of embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view from above of the preceding Figure but showingonly the cross-ties, the rails and the rail positioning device, and

FIG. 3 illustrates diagrammatically in side elevational view the tracklaying train converted into a railrod track renewal train.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates theprofiled platform, 2 and 2' being the rails to be laid which arepreviously laid down at the side ends of the platform. The train iscomposed of a truck 3 supporting the various working means, and ofseveral cars 4 for storing cross-ties 5 which are carried by bogies 6rolling on the laid track. The truck 3 bears on the laid track throughthe rear bogie 7 and on the railless ties 5a through a front bogie 8supported in turn by a translation device 9. This translation device 9may consist of a sledge mounted on skates or casters like the onedescribed in the French Patent No. FR-A-2,419,998. It is also possible,for relieving the translation device of an excessive load, to provide oneither side of the bogie 8 retractable roller skates or caterpillarmeans moving on the ties as disclosed in the European Patent ApplicationNo. 0,060,590 filed by the same Applicants. With this device, the loaddistribution on the ties and the truck stability are improvedconsiderably. The truck 3 is provided with a transport gantry 10 rollingon a continuous runway formed on the chassis of truck 3 and storage car4, with means 12 for storing and transporting the cross-ties, aplurality of roller clamps 23, 24, 25, 26 for lifting and positioningthe rails 2, 2', an overhanging bracket 18 supporting hinged means 14for transporting and laying the ties 5, devices 16 for levelling and/ortamping the platform or ballast 1, and eventually a power unit 17 fordriving the train and also the various working devices.

The levelling and/or tamping device 16 and the hinged device 14 fortransporting and laying the ties are suspended from a frame 19 suspendedin turn from the bracket 18 by means of fluid-operated cylinders 20, 21,22 permitting of guiding the frame along the track axis.

The above-described track laying train operates as follows:

Firstly, the platform 1 is prepared and the rails 2, 2' are disposed atthe side ends thereof, whereafter the truck 3 is caused to move in thedirection of the arrow F on the ties 5a laid by the tie-laying device14. The translation device 9 supporting the bogie 8 is guided by therail seats forming notches cut in the ties 5a. The rails 2 are lifted bymeans of the roller clamps 23 disposed ahead of the front bogie 8 oftruck 3, and brought back under the truck 3, after the passage of thisbogie 8, by the clamps 24, 25, and eventually positioned in the railseats of ties 5b. Meanwhile, the gantry 10 supplies cross-ties to thestorage-conveyor 12.

It is also possible to lay the ties and rails directly upon the platformin the absence of any ballast, and to subsequently lift the track forlaying the ballast.

For converting the track laying train into a railroad track renewaltrain (FIG. 3) a self-propelled or power-driven truck 28 is coupled tothe front end of the renewal train 3. This truck 28 is supported on abogie 29 rolling on the newly laid rails 2, 2' set on the new ties 5b.The power-driven truck 28 is provided with means for positioning the newrails 33; 34; 35. The two trucks 3 and 28 are hingedly interconnected ina known fashion, notably as described in the above-mentioned FrenchPatent No. FR-2,419,998. The engine 17 is removed and the space thusmade available is occupied by means 31 for transporting the old ties 32,which are followed by the device 30 for removing the old ties.

As the track renewal train travels in the direction of the arrow F1(which is opposed to the direction of travel of the track laying train)the tie laying device 14' is slightly modified with respect to thepreceding device, thus leaving room for the devices 30 and 31 forremoving and transporting the old ties, respectively. The old ties 32are conveyed by the gantry 10 to the storage car 4.

Underneath the truck 3 a plurality of roller clamps 23', 24', 25', 26'are provided for lifting and divaricating the old rails 37. Thetranslation device 9 is movable in the rail seats cut in the old ties32. Disposed between the devices 14' for laying the new ties and 30 forremoving the old ties is a ballast levelling and/or tamping device 16.

Though specific forms of embodiment of the present invention have beendescribed and illustrated herein, it will readily occur to thoseconversant with the art that many modifications and changes may bebrought thereto without departing from the basic principles of theinvention.

What is claimed as new is:
 1. A train for laying railroad trackcomprising cars for storing ties, means for transporting and layingties, means for positioning rails on said ties, a single work trucksupporting said tie transporting and laying means and said railpositioning means, said truck having a rear bogie and a front bogie,said rear bogie being disposed rearwardly of said rail positioning meansand running on rails after they are positioned, said front bogie beingdisposed forwardly of said rail positioning means, translation meansrunning on a plurality of railless ties supporting said front bogie,said tie laying means being mounted and operating in an overhangingrelationship ahead of the front bogie of said truck to lay ties in frontof said translation means.
 2. A train for laying railroad trackaccording to claim 1, wherein a power unit for said train is disposed onsaid truck in close vicinity to said rear bogie.
 3. A train for layingrailroad track according to claim 1, further comprising means mounted onthe front end of said tie laying means for levelling the platform orballast prior to laying said ties.
 4. A train for laying railroad trackaccording to claim 3, further comprising means mounted on the front endof said tie laying means for tamping the platform or ballast.
 5. A trainfor laying railroad track according to claim 1, wherein said tietransporting means comprises a gantry running on a continuous runwayprovided on said truck and said tie-storing cars.
 6. A train for layingrailroad track according to claim 5, in which said tie transportingmeans further comprises a conveyor for transporting ties from saidgantry to said tie laying means.
 7. A train for laying railroad trackaccording to claim 1, in which said rail positioning means comprisesroller clamps at opposite sides of said truck for lifting andpositioning the rails.
 8. A train for laying railroad track according toclaim 1, in which said translation means comprises a sledge mounted on aplurality of rolling elements.
 9. A train for laying railroad trackaccording to claim 1, further comprising means for converting the traininto a railroad track renewal train, said means comprising a secondtruck hingedly interconnected with the front end of the aforesaid truckand provided with a bogie rolling on the new track, means for removingold rails and for removing and transporting old ties, a power unitdisposed on said second truck and being adapted to drive said renewaltrain in a direction opposite to that of the railroad laying train, saidtie laying means being adapted to operate in said opposite direction.